Winter Solstice marks the peak of nighttime hours — escaping darkness this time of year is still possible
The bad news is that residents of Steamboat Springs will only have nine hours, 17 minutes of sunlight from sunrise to sunset Sunday, but the good news is that the days will start getting longer following the Winter Solstice.
“In my opinion, people move to Colorado because we get lots of sunshine,” said Tom Gangel, regional outreach director, Health Solutions West. “I think that it’s so important for people to be aware that sunshine, for many people, can help keep their mood stable and in a happier way. It is important to remember as the days get shorter that after Dec. 21 those days will actually start to get longer again — but it takes a while for that to happen.”
Gangel said the shorter days impact people differently, but many people are affected by just having less sunlight and shorter days.
In some cases, the shorter periods of sunlight result in Seasonal Affective Disorder, a type of depression linked to seasonal changes that can begin in the fall of winter as sunlight becomes more limited. The disorder can result in low energy, mood changes, sleep issues, appetite changes and difficulty concentrating. Many times, it is treated with light therapy, talk therapy or medication.
In many cases the symptoms are less noticeable, and Gangel like to encourage everyone to get outside whenever possible to enjoy the sunlight.
“There are some people that treatment might be needed,” Gangel said. “I think the thing that’s out there, though, is that treatment is available and you can use those sun lamps or artificial sunlight lamps, and so if you’re not getting enough sunlight, there is some artificial ways to get that as well.”
For more than a decade, local yoga instructors Ally Johnson, Jill Barker and Jenny Gabriel Shea have hosted a Winter Solstice Community Yoga Celebration inside the Steinberg Pavilion on the Perry-Mansfield Performing Arts School & Camp campus in Strawberry Park.
“We want to offer a community practice in a beautiful history place to bring people together on an auspicious day,” said organizer Jill Barker.
The celebration will begin at 4 p.m. and last to about 5:30 p.m. and is open to all levels. Participants are asked to show up early and bring a yoga mat the class is open to all levels and costs $20, though no one is turned away for inability to pay.
“This community gathering is a time to reflect upon the past year, set a vision for the coming year, acknowledge your inner light, and find grounding in what is most essential for you,” the organizers posted on Facebook. “Join us to honor community and the beauty within each of us.”
Harmony Yoga will be hosting a Gather in the Glow, a Winter Solstice Celebration at 3:30 p.m. Sunday at the Bud Werner Memorial Library in Library Hall.
“Essentially, especially in the yoga energy world, we’re just helping people activate their own inner light and come together and do things, that help people connect together and feel that light within,” Nikki Sjoden, owner of Harmony Yoga & Wellness, said. “The WinterSolstice reminds us that even in the darkest moments, light is quietly returning. This gathering is an invitation to slow down, rest, and feel supported by community,” Nikki Sjoden, owner of Harmony Yoga & Wellness.
Sjoden said she typically sees more people coming to her studio as the day’s get shorter, and is excited to see people escaping the darkness of the shorter days to be physically active and socially engaged.
“Just getting that bit of movement later in the day helps everything,” Sjoden said. “It helps our circadian rhythm, it helps us just get out of the hole of the scroll and the darkness that we can get lost into,”
Registration for Gather in the Glow is available at HarmonySteambaotYoga.com and costs $33 for members and $44 for non-members.
“We live in a very active town, which is so beautiful, but I really am on a mission to help people balance with just taking care of themselves, like deeper inner reflection and inner care,” Sjoden said. “It doesn’t have to be done alone. It can be done together…there’s a lot of stuff happening in the sky and the stars and on our planet energetically and this is a very vibrant time, but it’s just dark. So how we balance both helps us just get out of the hole of the scroll and the darkness that we can get lost into.”
John F. Russell is the business reporter at the Steamboat Pilot & Today. To reach him, call 970-871-4209, email jrussell@SteamboatPilot.com or follow him on Twitter @Framp1966.
